Description

William III. and Mary II. 1689-1694. Silver Medal 1689, 53.98 g. Coronation of William III and Mary II. Unsigned, by J. Schmeltzing. Bust of William III of Orange; laureate. GULIELM : III D . G . BRITANN : R . RELIG : LIBERTATISQ : RESTITUT. Rv. The arms of Britain suspended from an orange tree between James and Father Petre with Prince, clouds above with ITE MISSA EST and lightnings. In exergue: INAUGURATIS MAIESTATIBUS, EIECTO PAPATU, EXPULSA TYRANNIDE, BRITANNIA FELIX . 1689. Plain edge. 48.6 mm. Eimer -. MI i 671/43. Selten / Rare. Fast vorzüglich / About Extremely Fine. Kleiner Tremolierstrich am Rand / Small tremolier stroke on edge.

From the auction UBS 32, Basel, January 1993, lot 1592.

William III and Mary II were crowned together at Westminster Abbey on 11 April 1689 by the Bishop of London, Henry Compton. Normally, the coronation is performed by the Archbishop of Canterbury, but the Archbishop at the time, William Sancroft, refused to recognise James's removal.

The joint rule of William III of Orange (1650 - 1702), the Stadtholder of the Dutch Republic and the grandson of Charles I of England, and Mary II (1662 - 1694), the daughter of James II of England and his first wife, Anne Hyde, established constitutional monarchy and laid the foundation for modern parliamentary democracy.

@#@#@#@#@This medal was struck in Holland and are emblematical of the state of England when Popery, represented by Father Petre, and Tyranny by James II, with the snakes of Discord, were driven from the kingdom. The words of the legend are those used in the Church of Rome at the dismissal of the communicants after the celebration of the mass. Their application here is very clear. James and the Papists, having celebrated the mass, were in consequence unworthy to be present at the sacred ceremony of the coronation, and were therefore dismissed.@#@#@#@#